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VT Speed: Champion Polewarczyk wires field in ACT opener

Joey Polewarczyk Jr. opened his title defense in convincing fashion, winning the pole position in “plus/minus” heat race qualifying (+3) and leading all 150 laps at Oxford Plains Speedway on Sunday afternoon.

OXFORD, Maine – Joey Polewarczyk Jr. declared last week that the pressure was off. He had won his first American-Canadian Tour championship last fall, his sight was once again focused on the here-and-now, and he simply wanted to get back to basics and win races.

Mission accomplished.

The Hudson, N.H., driver opened his title defense in convincing fashion, winning the pole position in “plus/minus” heat race qualifying (+3) and leading all 150 laps at Oxford Plains Speedway on Sunday afternoon. It was only the fourth time in the 24-year history of the ACT Late Model Tour that the previous year’s champion won the opening race of the new season; he joined Milton’s Jean-Paul Cyr (2004, ’06) and Williston’s Brian Hoar (2012) in that category.

Polewarczyk ran the high line at the round 3/8-mile Oxford track and was comfortably ahead of Barre’s Nick Sweet for much of the race, but a caution period with 13 laps remaining changed his strategy. Polewarczyk restarted on the inside lane with Sweet in the top groove and former ACT champion Wayne Helliwell Jr. behind Polewarczyk in third place. Polewarczyk was forced to stay on the bottom, but credited a conservative strategy with being able to hold the field off.

“I tried to save (the car) in the middle of the race by running up high, thinking I’d be easier on the tires,” Polewarczyk told Vermont Motorsports Magazine reporter T.J. Ingerson. “On the long run it was better, but on the short run, like we had at the end, when the tires are cool, you have to be on the bottom. Wayne gave me all I could handle.

“I was thinking that the whole race in case that had to happen. I was hoping I was being easier on the tires by not putting too much input into the (steering) wheel, and in a scenario where I would had to use the bottom at the end, I would have enough for those guys. I don’t know if I had more tire than Wayne, but luckily it ended just in time.”

Helliwell, of Dover, N.H., got past Sweet and mounted a challenge for Polewarczyk, but ran out of time and finished second, while two-time Thunder Road Speedbowl champion Sweet settled for third.

Eighteen year-old Emily Packard of East Montpelier drove through the field from 20th starting position to finish fourth, with Williamstown’s Jimmy Hebert fifth. Maine drivers Jeff White and Travis Stearns were next in line, followed by Williamstown’s Mike Ziter, rookie Richie Dubeau of Plainfield, N.H., and Québec driver Jonathan Bouvrette.

Rowe Wins 151st at Oxford: Sixty-four year-old Mike Rowe — heralded as the “King of Oxford Plains Speedway” — added to his legend on Sunday, winning the 150-lap Pro All Stars Series Super Late Model event. It was the 151st time that the Turner, Maine driver won at the track, and is the latest in a long and illustrious career that ranks among the greatest in American short track racing.

Rowe started second and led laps early before dropping back. He retook the lead at lap 56, then held off defending PASS champion D.J. Shaw on two late restarts for the victory. Center Conway, N.H., runner Shaw took second followed by surprises from Maine racers Tony Ricci, David Oliver, and Garrett Hall, who was in only his second career PASS event.

Brian Hoar of Williston finished ninth, just ahead of Hinesburg’s Bobby Therrien. Milton’s Brent Dragon struggled and finished 28th. Joey Polewarczyk Jr., started on the pole position as he did in the prior ACT race, but battled an ill-handling car to finish 31st.

Benjamin Breaks Through at Bristol: Kyle Benjamin, 17, broke into victory lane for the first time in his NASCAR K&N Pro Series East career by winning the PittLite 125 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway on Saturday. The Roush-Fenway Racing development driver from Easley, S.C., was in his seventh career K&N East start and needed only 45 laps to make his way from the eighth starting spot past William Byron into the lead.

Byron, a rookie from Charlotte, N.C., held on for second. Northern drivers fared well, with Ridgefield, Conn.’s Scott Heckert third, 16 year-old Kaz Grala of Westborough, Mass., fourth, and defending race winner Eddie MacDonald of Rowley, Mass., sixth; MacDonald plans to be in ACT competition at his home track, Lee USA Speedway, next Sunday for the New Hampshire Governor’s Cup 150.

Justin St. Louis is a motorsports journalist, publicist, broadcaster, and former driver. Contact him at jstlouis1315@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Justin_StLouis